Not Your Typical Friday Night
by Wahoogal06
Summary: Lois wants to spend an evening with Richard when the babysitter cancels...and who else can she ask to watch Jason but Clark Kent? See how he handles his son as well as his second job. Set in the SR Universe.
1. Friday Night at the Planet

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of these characters, but I'd like to thank the late Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster for creating them. I also do not own anything borrowed from Disney's Pixar (you'll see what I mean later).

**A/N**:This is a re-vamped version of the original tale that I posted on the site many months ago. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Late March, 2007**. Clark heaved his shoulders and let out a deep sigh as he settled back into his desk chair at the Planet once more. _Just another day at the office_, he thought to himself, as he mused over the days events. Since stepping into the bull pen at 9:01 am, he had stopped an out-of-control car from careening off a cliff, saved a group of hikers that had fallen into an underground cave and been pinned by that cave's partial collapse, put out a 130 acre forest fire, ended three different robberies (_One bank, two convenience stores_) and completed two separate news articles. All he wanted to do was finish this last story and get home to a hot shower and a relatively relaxing evening out of _both_ suits.

A dinging sound at the end of the room roused him out of his thoughts in time to see Lois Lane step out of the elevator with Jason in tow. It was 6:45 pm on a Friday and she was dressed for a night out on the town; her long black dress accentuated her curves, and he couldn't help but allow his eyes to follow the simple strand of white pearls around her neck that trailed down with the v-neck of her ensemble. When he remembered himself he quickly looked away and behind him towards Richard's office, only to see the man all decked out in a new black Armani suit, complete with a perfectly tied bow-tie, a lá Jimmy Olsen. Clark turned back to catch Lois charging toward him, only to brush past hastily before he could open his mouth and deliver her a compliment. He smiled to himself as he inhaled the trail of perfume she left behind, and it was in that moment that Clark realized that Jason was still in his play clothes, clutching an overstuffed backpack with an action figure sticking out, being dragged along behind his mother. The little boy turned and gave a quick smile and a wave to Clark before reaching his Father's office with his Mother.

Richard caught sight of Lois and smiled as she weaved among the desks. "Hey Hun!" he called out as he held open his office door to greet her, "Ready for our big date…" he trailed off as Jason came into view. He loved the little guy, but Lois had asked that they take some time to talk together, _alone_, and that's when he proposed a date night to her. _So what is Jason doing here?_ "Hey Munchkin!" he cried, scooping his son up into his arms and trying to mask the twinge of disappointment, "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to hang out with Connie tonight?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and said, "Connie can't play tonight." Richard looked at him quizzically.

"Her great-aunt of a friend's friend died and she just _had_ to go console them," Lois said, dripping with sarcasm. "Puh-leeze. She just wanted to go to the Mall, to heck with responsibilities and prior commitments! UGH!! Teenagers today!" she flopped down in a nearby chair in frustration.

Clark, who had been listening in on the conversation, chuckled at Lois' drollness. Luckily, not many people were left to notice his little outburst, so he sobered up and went on eavesdropping.

"…go home and re-schedule?"

"No Richard!" she replied exasperated, "It took two weeks for us to coordinate our schedules, five days to pick the restaurant and an hour and a half for me to get ready! And besides, we really need to have this conversation. It can't wait any longer."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to bring Jason along…" he said, trailing off and looking at the boy on the sofa, who was playing absent-mindedly with his Sky Captain figurine in his hands.

A knock on the door reminded Lois and Richard that they were not alone and they watched in amusement as Clark pulled on the handle instead of pushing the door in. Finally, he remembered himself and stepped into the expansive corner office. _How he makes it in investigative journalism I'll never understand_, Lois thought, as she gave Clark a good once-over. _Sure, he's plain enough, you'd never notice him in a crowd, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to slip in and out of places, but he can't seem to stand up for more than five minutes altogether without tripping over a wastebasket or knocking into a door! Just how in the world does he get his scoops?_

Clark glanced over and saw Lois scanning him and furrowing her brows in deep thought. She always got that look when pondering how best to break a dead end in a story. _What have I done to deserve __**that**__ look Lois?_

"Ahem," coughed Richard, trying to get Clark's attention.

"Oh right, sorry," he mumbled as he headed towards Richard's desk. "Here's that article you asked for earlier." His toe caught on Jason's backpack and Clark practically threw the papers into Richard's hands before catching himself on the back of a nearby chair. The boy giggled.

"Jason, that's not very nice…" Richard started to reprimand his son, before noticing that Lois had let out a little chuckle too.

Clark straightened himself out, at least, as much as he would allow himself to straighten up while in the office and added, "Well, if you don't need anything else, I think I'll be heading home for the evening." He turned to try and make an unceremonious getaway while wishing he had a reason to linger. He was almost at the door when Lois piped up.

"Clark, did you say you were going home? You don't, maybe, have any other plans for the night, now do you?"

His heart skipped a beat; it was exactly what he hoped she'd ask him. Still, he couldn't help but think, _Gee Lois, now that you mention it…I had thought about flying over to your place to tuck Jason into bed then I'd do one final fly-by around the globe before hitting the hay myself; you know, stopping natural and man-made disasters and whatnot. But other than that…_"No Lois, I don't have any plans, why do you ask?"

"Well, I know this is very last minute, and you can feel free to say no, but as you can see," she gestured to her lavish attire, as if he needed her to remind him how breathtaking she looked, "Richard and I had plans, and, well, the babysitter canceled on us at the last minute. There was a death in the family," she added soberly, for extra-emphasis.

He resisted laughing out loud, knowing full well the truth of the situation. Although he desperately wanted to spend more time with his son, and she practically handed him over to her on a silver platter, he didn't want to appear over-eager and arouse suspicion. Taking a deep breath, he shirked his shoulders and thrust his hands deep in his pockets before briefly locking eyes with Jason.

"Lois, I don't think this is very fair," Richard said, looking up while absently flipping through the pages Clark had just given him. "Really Clark, she shouldn't shanghai you like this. Honestly Honey, we can just take him with us to the restaurant, it won't be a problem." Lois shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the mention of bringing Jason along. _Clearly she wants to spend some 'alone time' with her fiancée_…Clark mused to himself.

"I wouldn't mind watching him, Richard. Really, it wouldn't be any trouble at all," he said all in one breath, afraid he may have missed his chance.

Lois turned to face her son. "Jason, Sweetie, what do you want to do? Do you want to go to the boring grown-up restaurant with Mommy and Daddy, or do you want to color pictures and have fun with Mr. Clark?" she asked mock-innocently, knowing full-well that she had manipulated his options. No small child would willingly choose the 'boring grown-up restaurant' option, no matter how mysterious it sounded.

"I want to go with Mr. Clark!" he exclaimed happily, much to Lois and Clark's relief.

"Ok then, go get your stuff together," she said, gently nudging him off the sofa. Richard let out a sigh of defeat and turned back to Clark's article, grabbing a pen and bending over his desk. Lois turned her attention back to Clark.

"Thank you so much," she said, letting loose a sigh of relief. "By the way, the gig pays $12 an hour."

"Lois! You know I'll watch Jason for free ANYTIME!" he replied, a little peeved that the mother of his own child would offer to _pay_ him to spend time with his son. _And so much for not appearing over-anxious there Clark…_

"I know, Smallville," she said, grinning mischievously, "I was only teasing. Besides, you owe me for that thing I did for you way back when…"

"What thing?" he cocked his head to the side, trying to recall what 'thing' she was referring to.

"You know, that one time…you remember, that time I saved your butt? We were working on that article…you know, before you went away…" she went on teasing him vaguely.

"Riiiiight,_that time. _Uh-huh…sure Lois, whatever you say." He was grinning like a maniac now; first he got to spend an evening with hi son, and now Lois was horsing around with him, actually paying him some attention! It was practically perfect.

"I'm ready Mommy!" Jason cried, tugging eagerly on her dress. She took her son's hand and placed it in Clark's large one, which soon enveloped it completely. _Funny_, she thought to herself,_ as klutzy as he is, I don't think I'd so readily entrust Jason to anybody else. He just seems so protective of him, like it's the most natural thing in the world_.

"Alright Buddy," Clark said, looking down at the little boy, "Let's get out of here." He pushed the door open and headed for his desk to retrieve his coat and briefcase.

"Goodnight, Little Guy! Make sure and be on your best behavior!" Richard called out, looking up from the note he had scribbled in the margin of Clark's article.

They hadn't made it very far when Lois realized she'd forgotten something and called out to them.

"Clark!"

But Clark didn't hear her; he was so busy staring down at the little face looking happily back up at him that no other sound in the world reached his ears.

"CLARK!" she called out again, more forcefully this time, effectively breaking him out of his reverie.

"Uh, yes Lois?" he asked, almost guiltily.

"I need your address…you know, so I can pick Jason up later. I mean, I could go through the personnel files and get it, but that would just take more time, and we really need to get out of here," she said, glancing back at Richard in his office.

Clark grabbed a scrap sheet of paper and wrote his address and phone number on it for her. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, just one second…" she dove into her clutch bag and pulled out a few pieces of paper for him. "Here's the name and number of the restaurant we'll be going to…there's my cell phone number and Richard's…this is Jason's Doctor's office…oh, and here's my sister Lucy's address and phone number, just in case something should happen and you can't reach us at the restaurant. And the rest of these," she said, flipping the remaining pages, "are Jason's known allergies." A look of panic briefly swept across Clark's face at the length of the list. "But don't worry!" she hastened to reassure him, "He hasn't had an allergic reaction or an asthma attack in months! And he has all his medications and his inhaler in his bag if anything _should_ happen."

Richard sidled up beside her, her coat draped over his arm, "Are you ready?" he asked in a husky voice, taking her coat and holding it open for her.

"Yes," she answered back, inserting her elegant arms through the sleeves. Clark, in-between mentally registering how stunning she looked this evening, couldn't help but detect a lack of feeling between Lois' words and her actions toward Richard; he even thought it bordered on indifference. But he just shook it off as wishful thinking and tucked Lois' list into his briefcase.

"Goodnight, Sweetie," she said, bending down to give Jason a good-bye kiss. "Be good for Mr. Clark, ok?"

"I will Mommy."

"'Night, Kiddo," Richard said again, tousling Jason's hair. One misguided lock fell in front of Jason's forehead, giving him the distinct look of his _biological_ _father_; fortunately for Richard, he hadn't noticed a thing. He knew he wasn't Jason's true father, but he was his Dad in every way that mattered, and any reminder of the man who had sired his son always roused him a little to anger. Lois quickly pushed it back into place, but not before Clark saw it and felt a surge of paternal pride well up within him. And with that, Richard and Lois strode across the bullpen, entered an awaiting elevator, and were gone for the evening.


	2. Who Wants Ice Cream?

A few moments after Lois and Richard left, Jason and Clark found themselves on the sidewalk outside the Daily Planet heading west, toward Clark's new home. After the havoc that Lex Luthor wrought on the city the previous September, finding an apartment had become relatively easy; in fact, Clark's landlord, Jerry Thorne, practically gave the space away. It was also perfectly situated for his needs—he was on the top level of a twelve story building, and his patio opened out to the brick wall of the taller building next to it. It was great for when one needed to make frequent but inconspicuous entrances and exits up in the air.

The second benefit to his new living arrangement was that he could walk to and from work each day. True, he could have chosen an apartment in another zip code and still made it to work on time (barring any unforeseen catastrophes), but his proximity to the office gave his "normal" life more credence. If, after an incident, he popped out of an alleyway and ran into a co-worker, he could casually say that he had taken a shortcut to work. Also, had Clark chosen the apartment he had been looking at in Gotham and a similar situation to this one had arisen, Lois would have grown suspicious over his two hour one-way commute to work each day and she would have _never_ agreed to let him babysit.

He looked down at the child beside and beamed. This was his child…HIS CHILD! Clark would've flown up to the rooftops right now and shouted this out for all of Metropolis to hear if only he didn't have to keep so many secrets…a secret identity, secret desires for Lois, and a secret child…he let out a sigh at the thought of his burden. _At least I don't have to hide my emotions right now_. His feelings were so plainly written across his face that Clark doubted he'd have the strength to bury them if he had to.

"Hey Buddy," he said, gently tugging on Jason's hand, "are you hungry? Did you have dinner?"

"No, I haven't eaten yet." Jason replied, shaking his head. "Connie was s'posed to come over and make English Muffin pizzas with me, but she couldn't," he finished with a sigh, lamenting the loss of his special dinner treat.

"Well I'll tell you what. What would you say if I told you that tonight was a special night and that we could skip dinner and go straight to dessert? There's an ice cream parlor down the street from my apartment and you can have whatever flavor you want. We just won't tell your Mother, ok?" He winked at Jason and held a finger up to his lips. _Looks like Lois'll have to be the disciplinarian in this relationship…it's only been five minutes and I'm already spoiling him_!

"YEAH!" Jason said excitedly, giving a little jump. "Only…"

"Only what Jason?" Clark looked down in concern.

"Only...I'm not s'posed to have ice cream. Mommy says I'm lapdus…lapmis…laktis…"

Clark stared confusedly at the boy, as he tried to puzzle out what it was he wanted to say. It was then that the thought crossed his mind, and he reached into his bag to pull out the list Lois had given him. There it was, number 9.

"Jason are you lactose intolerant?" he asked, reading it off the sheet in front of him.

"Yeah, that's what Mommy says, only I'm not lacdough intolermint anymore, but she doesn't know it. I have ice cream at my friend Danny's house all the time because his Mommy lets us eat it and she doesn't know that my Mommy says I'm not s'posed to," he stated matter-of-factly. "I like chocolate chip cookie dough best."

Clark knelt down to be at eye level with him. "But don't you get sick after eating it, Buddy?"

"No." the young child replied matter-of-factly. "I haven't gotten sick since that Bad Man had me and Mommy on the boat, and that was a _long_ time ago…" he finished, rather exasperatedly.

_Yes, a whole six months ago…but it hasn't quite been long enough for me, or for your Mother for that matter…_

Jason spoke up and broke him out of his reverie. "Can we still have ice cream, Mr. Clark? Please, can we? I won't tell Mommy; I'm good at keeping secrets," he said, winking at the tall man beside him.

"Ok Jason, we'll go, but you have to promise not to tell your Mother. She'd kill me."

He looked back at Clark now, a very serious expression on his face, "No she wouldn't."

Clark looked down at his little boy. _What an odd thing to say_…he thought as he guided Jason toward the ice cream parlor.


	3. Multitasking

Thirty minutes, one cone of chocolate chip cookie dough and a cup of rocky road ice cream later and Clark led Jason out of the elevator and down the hall to his apartment. Jason wore his treat all over his face and his hands were sticky to the touch, but Clark was fortunate enough to have had the foresight to cover the boy's shirt with several large napkins before they dug in; _No evidence, no crime and no angry Mother,_ he reasoned. He heard the phone in his place ring before they had made it halfway down the hall, but he couldn't use his speed to get to it in time without making Jason suspicious of him. Juggling his coat, his briefcase and his son's hand, Clark managed to get the key in the door just as the answering machine picked up.

"Hi! Uh, you've reached Clark Kent and, well, I'm not here right now, so leave a message after the tone. Thanks!" The sound of his own voice hit him as he stepped through the door. Clark dumped his jacket and briefcase on the sofa and tried to get Jason into the bathroom to wash his face and hands; whoever was on the other end could leave a message and he'd get back to them later. _Besides, it's probably a telemarketer anyways…_

Both boys could plainly hear the message being left on Clark's answering machine above the sound of the running water from the sink. "Clark? Clark dear, it's your Mother. I thought I'd call and check in on you but you must still be in the office. Son, don't you know it's Friday night? I'd be out right now myself but Ben's running a bit behind…anyhow, I saw you on the TV today…did you really have to use your hands to put parts of that forest fire out? I know you're invincible but I still worry…"

Clark left Jason washing his hands under the sink and zipped over to the telephone in the kitchen. _Did Jason hear her? Was he suspicious?_

"Hi Mom, I just got in."

"Clark! Good, I'm glad you're alright. I know I shouldn't worry but…"

"Uh Mom, I'm sorry to give you the bum's rush, but, uh…well, I've kind of got company," he said sheepishly into the receiver.

Jason, by this time, was through with cleaning up and was ready for some fun. He came out of the bathroom with dripping wet hands and stood in front of Clark.

"Mr. Clark, you wanna play? You wanna play, Mr. Clark? I know, let's play hide and go seek! I'll hide, and you try to find me, ok?" the boy asked impatiently.

Martha, on the other end of the line, heard none of this. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, Clark! Did they hear anything? Oh dear! I knew I should've been more careful, what if they suspect..." She stopped herself short. "Wait a minute…Clark, do you have female company?"

It took a lot of self-control for Clark not to laugh outright at his Mother's conjecture. "No Mom, I'm babysitting Jason. Lois' sitter canceled at the last minute and I offered to pitch in. I figured…"

"_**Mr. Clark**_! You have to count while I go hide, _**ok**_? Go!" Jason said before zooming off. The combination of sugar and his Kryptonian genetics made Clark's head spin. The boy was literally running circles around the apartment in search of a place to hide. This worried him. It looked like Superman would have to pay Lois another visit and soon; Jason's super speed was beginning to kick in, and she would need to be made aware of that fact before he ran around like this in public.

Martha resumed the conversation. "I'm so glad you get to spend a little more time with him. I know it can't be easy, Son, but I'm sure…"

"Mom, I gotta go," Clark said, cutting her off again for the second time that night and feeling guilty about it, "Jason's literally about to run up the walls. I'll call you tomorrow, I promise." And with that he unceremoniously hung up the phone.

At the exact moment that the phone was placed back on its wall mount the entire apartment went silent. Jason had found his hiding place and was very quietly waiting to be found.

This was far from being a typical Friday night for Clark Kent.


	4. Hide and Go Seek

"Jason!" his loud voice called out. Calrk got no answer, so he tried again. "Jason, where are you?" He made his way toward the living room when he noticed that the front door was still ajar. "Oh my God!" Clark cried out, super-speeding towards the entryway. His son wasn't in the hallway, so Clark x-rayed the stairwell and the floors below. The only people he could discern were a woman exercising on her elliptical machine, a large man sitting in front of a TV, a young family playing a board game and a cat stalking an empty apartment; but there was no sign of Jason. He was simply nowhere to be found. _This is GREAT! We've only been back five minutes and I've already lost him…he couldn't have made it to the street already, could he? No…_ Clark thought…_but he does look like he's on the verge of achieving super-speed, so maybe?_ He stood with one foot in the hallway, ready to change into his suit and circle the neighborhood from up overhead. It was then that he heard a giggle so stifled that only his acute hearing enabled him to detect it.

Without thinking he walked over to the couch and lifted it up with over his head one-handed, only to discover that Jason wasn't hiding there. As Clark stooped to place the sofa back on the ground he didn't even pause to realize that he was using his powers openly and that his son might be watching. Next he stood beside the sofa and lowered his glasses to the tip of his nose in order to fully x-ray the apartment. What he saw next shocked him into hyper-motion again; Jason was curled up in the bottom of Clark's closet, hiding underneath a red flannel shirt, with his back to a recently discarded pair of boots...Superman's boots, to be precise. In a flash Clark reached the closet and flung the doors wide open.

"Surprise!" Jason yelled, popping out from underneath the shirt, "You found me, Mr. Clark! You're really good at this game," he said, completely unaware of _what_ he'd been hiding next to. Clark was flabbergasted at his nonchalance. "Do you want to play again?" his son asked innocently.

"NO!" he cried out in alarm. The boy looked up at him puzzled. "I mean, uh, no thank you, Jason," Clark paused, unsure of how to proceed. "I know, how about you and I color instead? I'm sure your Mom would love a new picture for her desk at work."

"Ok," he replied and ambled over to his backpack to retrieve his crayons. Clark took some white paper from his printer and met Jason at the kitchen table where they began to color pictures.

A few moments later the young Picasso looked up from his work and over at his friend's sketch. "What are you drawing, Mr. Clark?"

"Well this is a picture of where I grew up," he said as he picked up the paper to show the boy.

"You grew up on a_FARM_?" the boy asked surprised.

"Yes I did, in a place called Smallville. That's in Kansas."

Jason noticed a four-legged friend in the corner of Clark's picture that caused him to break out into a huge grin. "Is that _your_ dog?"

Clark smiled back. "Yep, that's Shelby. She's eleven years old now…"

"That's five years older than me!"

"That's right, it is! You're very good at math for someone your age, has anybody ever told you that?"

"My Daddy taught me. He said I'd never learn from my Mommy because she can't balance her checkbook, but I've seen her balance lots of things plenty of times, so I don't know what he means."

Clark let out a little chuckle…_That sounds like Lois._ Meanwhile, Jason engrossed himself in the picture Clark had drawn. "And you had a treehouse too?! Wow…." He said in quiet awe. Then he noticed a person Clark had drawn standing on the porch. "Who's that?"

"That," Clark said looking down at the picture, "is my Mother."

"Ohh….she must be really nice to let you have a treehouse _AND_ a dog," he said wistfully.

Again Clark couldn't help but laugh at his son's comment. _Out of the mouths of babes. My Mother is going to absolutely love him…_he thought, when another notion struck him. "Jason, would you like to see my home someday? You can run around with Shelby in the fields and play in the barn and…"

"WOULD I!" the little boy exclaimed animatedly.

"We'll have to ask your Mother for permission first…" Clark warned. He wanted Jason to meet his Mother and have his Mother meet him, but he didn't want to cross Lois; Superman and Lois' relationship was on tender footing as it was without getting her angry at his alter-ego too. Not to mention he had no idea how to ask his co-worker if he could bring her son to his boyhood home…but those were bridges he'd cross later.

"Yeah, a farm…" in his mind Jason was already planning his visit to Smallville, how he'd get to see live cows and chickens, ride horses and run with Shelby the dog. He took out a fresh sheet of paper and began a new drawing.

Clark watched with pride as Jason bent his head in earnest to get started on his new work. The child was a blur of activity as he scrambled after one crayon, then another, bringing his masterpiece to life. Ten minutes later and Jason handed his creation over to Clark, saying simply, "This is for you."

One look and he knew he would treasure that drawing forever. It was a picture of Clark and Jason running in a field, with Shelby the yellow lab trailing behind them and a red farm house in the distance. Jason had even signed his name in the lower right hand corner in purple crayon. For a six year old his son had a very good grasp on perception, but there was one piece of his work that struck Clark as a little peculiar.

"This is great, Bud, thank you!" he said, turning to the refrigerator door and hanging it up. "But just one question, how come you and I are running above the grass and Shelby isn't?"

"Because we're running so fast we're almost _flying_! And everyone knows that dogs can't fly, Mr. Clark; that's just silly!"

Clark did his best to keep his face expressionless in front of Jason, but he was nonetheless shocked by his statement. _He couldn't know, could he?_ He thought, looking over in Jason's direction with a curious eye. _Nah…_


	5. Problems and Priorities

The pair of them had long ago given up on coloring and instead were watching "The Incredibles" on DVD. _Mom sure does have a sense of humor…_Clark thought to himself as he watched the movie about a family of superheroes with Jason nestled beside him. Martha had made up a care package for Clark after he'd settled back in to life in Metropolis; it came complete with DVD's of movies he had missed, numerous books and several of his favorite homemade snacks. Right now he was especially grateful for his Mother's caring gesture, otherwise he would have had nothing else to entertain Jason with_…and who knows what kind of antics a bored half-Kryptonian child can get up to?_

Mr. Incredible was on-screen in the clutches of a robot and being introduced to his arch-nemesis Syndrome, when Clark first heard the sounds of a struggle in the distance. He keyed in on it and grew increasingly alarmed; a band of thieves were breaking into the Tower of London, and it became obvious from their shouts that their target was the Crown Jewels. Security at the Tower was doing everything in its power to combat the robbers, but something was wrong and they were losing the upper hand. _How am I going to help them AND watch Jason at the same time?…_he wondered. It took but a moment for Clark to hit upon an idea. He used his free hand to reach down and pull out his cell phone, pretending that it had vibrated in his pocket.

"Hello?" he said into the mute phone, while standing up and walking away from the sofa. Jason followed him with his eyes, and Clark put his hand up to cover the mouthpiece; "Keep watching the movie, Jason, I'm just going to take the call in here, ok?" he said, pointing towards his bedroom.

"Ok," the boy replied, turning back to the TV.

Clark casually walked into the bedroom and locked the door shut behind him. Quick as a flash he tossed the phone aside, changed into his suit and flew out the back window. Jason, who was entirely engrossed in the film, didn't even register that Superman had landed on the back patio. _Now to see if this will work…_he knocked on the glass door.

"Superman!" the boy exclaimed happily.

"Hello Jason," he said, stepping into the apartment. His son ran over to him and gave him a hug. "Jason, I have some important work I need to do, and I'd like to take you with me. I've spoken with your friend, Clark, and he said it would be alright with him, so long as it was alright with you. Would you like to come help me out, Buddy? We'll be back before your Mother arrives to come and get you."

Jason nodded his head in agreement, jumping out of his arms and rushing to get his coat before standing obediently before the tall red, yellow and blue figure. _Ok, this is good, it's going to work,_ Clark noted. _And_ _it's a good thing too_, _because_ _things sound like they're really starting to heat up over there_. He bent down and picked up his son, cradling the boy protectively in his arms before taking off as fast as he dared across the Atlantic.

"Daddy, where are we going?" Jason asked mid-flight.

After Superman recovered from his stint in the hospital, he and Lois took some time to talk things over and agreed to tell Jason the truth; but when they did so, they made sure to stress the secretive nature of the information they were about to impart. Lois and Superman had decided beforehand that the facts concerning Jason's paternity would extend only to Jason and to Richard, but no further.

"Sweetie, you have to make sure not to tell anybody else, ok? You can call him Daddy _if_ you want to, and only if and when you're ready, but you have to make sure nobody else is around to hear you. This is _very_ important, Jason…do you understand?" Lois asked, looking into the sky blue eyes of her sweet little boy.

"Yes Mommy," he said quickly, before a puzzled expression crossed his face.

Superman noted the look. "What's wrong, Son?"

"Does this mean that I can't tell Mr. Clark?" he asked.

His parents exchanged worried glances. "No Honey, you can't. You can't tell anyone," his Mother replied gently but firmly.

"Ok."

It had been months since that discussion and Superman looked down at his son as they soared over the ocean. Even now, when Jason called him Daddy, it made his heart pound harder in his chest. He looked at the boy with a twinkle in his eyes before replying, "We're going to London to stop some very bad people from stealing the Crown Jewels."

"Oh, ok."

Superman allowed a slight smirk to cross his face. _This kid takes everything with a grain of salt…_

It was a little after 3 am Greenwich Mean Time when Superman and Jason arrived on the scene. Smoke from a recently ended firefight could be seen coming over the Tower's parapets, but there were no other obvious sounds of a struggle. Superman slowed and came to a stop, hovering over the River Thames.

"Jason, I'm going to leave you on the rooftop next to that tower there, ok?" he said, pointing. "I need you to be my eyes. I want you to stay out of sight of the bad guys, and if you see anyone coming your way I want you to whisper my name and I'll come get you. Do you think you can do that?"

"I can do that," the boy said, nodding in assent.

Superman could hear Jason's heart beat a little faster as the adrenaline pulsed through him, and he hoped it was because his son was excited and not frightened at the prospect of the dangerous situation they were about to enter into. Clark knew that no father in his right mind would have dared put his child in a spot such as this, but it was the best he could do under the circumstances; that, and he knew that he was no ordinary father, nor was Jason any ordinary child. Superman swooped down and gently placed his son on the roof before investigating the scene before him.

He saw many men moving objects out of one of the buildings; there was a large golden tub, several hefty ceremonial plates, as well as a handful of scepters and crowns being loaded into two tank-like vehicles in the courtyard. There were also men outside guarding the perimeter where those who were lifting the nation's priceless riches were working. At least five of those on patrol were wearing Security uniforms, which helped to explain how they had managed to execute their plan thus far without getting caught.

And, much to Superman's regret, he also counted at least fifteen dead on the ground around them.


	6. Scene of the Crime

Superman circled overhead once more, taking care not to be seen, before zipping at the speed of sound through the open Jewel Room doors. The men inside were startled by his sudden appearance, but before they even had a chance to exhale they were rounded up and bound together in the middle of the room by a rope they had left on the floor.

"Keep quiet, all of you, or things will get much worse," Superman said, holding a finger to his lips before dashing to the side of the door. They, along with Superman, knew that he abhorred killing; nevertheless they also understood the extent of his god-like powers, and the thieves let their imaginations run wild at how Superman could "make things worse". They wisely kept their mouths shut.

As the next goon crossed the threshold for more loot he caught sight of his comrades, roped together in the center of the room, and his eyes went wide. Before he could comprehend the scene in front of him everything went black and he crumpled to the ground; Superman had knocked him out cold. The Man of Steel then snapped a wrought iron rail off a nearby wall and wrapped it around the burglar's arms before dragging him out of sight. This happened three more times in quick succession until Superman paused and looked through the wall to the outside. Only the six men watching the boundary and the one struggling to fit the stolen goods in one of the armored vehicles remained.

Superman crept outside and sidled over to the man at the car. His hands were laden with several fragile crowns which he was attempting to place in the vehicle in a way that would prevent them from shattering as the men escaped the compound. Jason peered over the edge of the wall on the roof in time to see Superman sneak up on the robber, whose back was to the boy. What happened next startled everyone.

The Man of Steel firmly tapped the shoulder of the bandit than raced around to stand within inches of his face. The burglar was so startled by his actions that he dropped the precious jewels in his hands, and Superman dropped to one knee to catch them nanoseconds faster than did the thief; however, the scene looked to Jason like something completely different was occurring.

He thought Superman was getting beat up.

The beam of a flashlight had reflected off several green gems from one of the crowns, causing Jason to think that the man had Kryptonite and was now hurting Superman. Jason was so worried about him that he couldn't stop himself from crying out. "NOOOOO!"

The six startled men looked up and saw a small white face on the roof; not knowing that it belonged to that of a child, they raised their weapons and began firing at the spot. It took less time for the men to pull their trigger than it did for Superman to react. Forgetting all about the crowns, he let them fall to the ground and raced to his son's aid, his heart pounding in his ears the whole way. Round after round pummeled his chest before falling to the ground; so many shots were fired, in fact, that Superman had no way of knowing whether or not he was catching them all, and the cacophony of sound that hit him prevented him from detecting Jason's presence and noting whether or not he had been hurt.

When the shooting stopped he swooped down to face them, his eyes glaring red with rage. In an instant they dropped their weapons, and blisters formed on their hands from where they had been burned. Superman pulled off the metal chain that cordoned off a nearby flower garden, and wrapped it around all seven of the men on the ground. As they struggled with their bonds and cursed under their breath, Superman flew up to where he had seen Jason a moment before, holding his breath as to what he might find.

He knew that his son was strong but not invincible like him and that he might never be, so why he led him into the heart of the danger he couldn't now recall._ How could I have been so reckless, so stupid…and with my own child?!?! Dear God, let him be alright, please PLEASE let him be alright…_

The firefight had lasted a whole forty seconds. After he cried out, Jason felt the rush of air as Superman flew in front of him, followed by the loud sound of the gunshots. He ducked below the wall and out of sight, covering his head and face with his tiny arms. The noise was deafening, and any normal person would have been terrified; yet Jason found that he wasn't afraid. He knew his Daddy was there to protect him and that nothing bad would happen to him so long as the green crystals weren't present. If his Daddy hadn't been there, like when they were on the ship and the Bad Man left him and his Mommy in the locked room, then he probably would have been scared, but not now. When the noise stopped Jason unfurled himself while still lying down, hidden, and after a few seconds he stood up and came face to face with his Father flying toward him.

Superman looked Jason in the eye briefly before x-raying him from head to toe; there wasn't a scratch or a bruise on him. Even his heart rate was relatively normal given the circumstances. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked hurriedly, hoping he hadn't scarred the six year old for life. There were going to be so many other challenges for Jason in the years ahead, and he didn't want him irreparably damaged by the events of this one Friday night out with his Father in particular.

"I'm fine, but I hear ringing right here, right in my ears," he replied, rubbing his ears to try and stop the incessant buzzing sound.

"I'm sorry. I'm told that that happens with humans and loud noises, but that it will pass." He reached out and gave Jason a hug, thanking God again for seeing that his son remained unhurt. The sounds of approaching sirens reached his ears then, and he released the boy from his grasp.

"Jason, I have to let the police in to take these bad people away. Now, it's important that they don't see you, so I want you to stay hidden right here. As soon as I've let them in I'll come back to get you and then I'll take you to Clark's apartment. I'll be right back now, so make sure you stay low."

"Uh huh," he said with a nod before crouching back down.

Superman flew back down and opened the gates that the robbers had barricaded when their raid began, and then he gathered up the fourteen men he had secured and left them for the police in the middle of the courtyard. Glancing upward to see that Jason wasn't watching, he gently collected and laid out the bodies of the men who gave up their lives protecting the symbols of their country's history and power, while piling up the four dead thieves beside the squirming ones of their captured comrades. He completed this last task as the police cars stormed the scene; they were in time to see Superman pause momentarily at a rooftop before he flew home to Metropolis, unknowing that the Man of Steel had a child cradled in his arms.


	7. The Long Flight Home

The boys were back over the Atlantic Ocean within minutes, taking a more leisurely flight home to Metropolis than the one they had taken to London not fifteen minutes before. Superman could tell that it was past Jason's normal bedtime, as the child tucked his head into his chest and against the raised symbol of the House of El on the uniform. They each became more relaxed the more distance they put behind them and what had transpired.

Jason poked his head out and looked up at his Father, a questioning look in his tiny blue eyes. "Mr. Clark, did I do something wrong back there?"

"No Son, you didn't do anything wrong…" Superman replied. _Wait, did he…?_ The realization hit Superman like a brick wall and he abruptly stopped flying, sending Jason clinging to his neck in fright and leaving them hovering below the cloud line.

"Jason, what did you just call me?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm sorry, I meant to call you Superman."

_Say what?!?! _ "But Jason, why would you call me Mr. Clark?"

"Well, I know you're Superman right now, but I know you're also Mr. Clark. Only you don't like being called Mr. Clark except when you have your glasses on. I'm sorry...I didn't mean to call you Mr. Clark right now," The boy hung his head low in apology for what he believed to be a grievous error.

_My God…_"Jason, Jason don't do that, you've nothing to be sorry about. How long have you known that I'm…I'm…"

"Superman_AND_ Mr. Clark?"

"Yes."

"Since you saved Mommy in that big plane that landed in the baseball field. You came back after doing all sorts of neat stuff, and you were up on the TV _all_ the time but you were also standing right there with me and Mommy and Daddy! And you and Mr. Clark are both tall and you both have the same color eyes and and AND you both like to color pictures with me and talk to me," Jason said all in one breath.

_Will wonders never cease…he's known for seven months!_ Jason's declaration cleared up so many things…_ "Can we still have ice cream Mr. Clark?...I won't tell Mommy, I'm __**good**__ at keeping secrets…" "Your Mother will kill me," "No she won't." "…how come you and I are running above the grass?" "Because we're running so fast we're almost flying…" Yes, his son was __**very**__ good at keeping secrets…_Jason had been trying to let Clark know that he had been in on the secret, and he'd been blind to his son's efforts the whole time.

"You're also a good Daddy too; as Superman and as Mr. Clark."

Superman was thankful that it was so dark out because the night sky hid the tears that were welling up in his eyes; all he ever wanted to be since learning of Jason's existence was a good Father, just like his Dad, Jonathan Kent, had been.

"Thank you, Jason," he finally managed to say though his throat choked up.

"You're welcome," he replied, not really comprehending why what he said was so important, but glad to know he wasn't in trouble.

"You haven't…I mean, does anyone…well really…Jason does your Mother know about what you just told me?"

"No, and neither does my other Daddy, or Uncle Perry, or Mr. Jimmy, or Danny my friend, or Mrs. Temple at school, or…"

"Ok, I see; so you haven't told _anyone_ that I'm Clark?"

"Nope."

"Good, that's good to hear," Superman was surprised to find that he had been holding his breath in anticipation of his son's answer, and he let it all out now that he knew the truth.

"Superman, how come nobody else knows?" the boy asked.

He hesitated before responding, searching for the right words. "Jason, I think the reason why other people don't know is because they don't take the time to really observe the world around them. They see things, but they don't look at the details, they don't look beyond the surface. But you and I can."

"Is it because we have powers?" he asked, suddenly animated.

"No, it's not because of our powers; at least, not always. What I'm talking about is the result of our characters, not our special abilities…is any of this making sense, Jason?"

The boy shook his head. "Not really…"

"Well, it's ok. Perhaps what I'm saying will be clearer to you when you're older."

"Then will I be able to see through stuff?!?!?" he asked with renewed enthusiasm. Superman couldn't help but let a grin spread across his face at his Jason's excitement.

"We'll just have to wait and see about that now won't we? But Jason, back to what you said before, I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone that Clark Kent and I are the same person. You_especially_ can't tell your Mother; that's something I need to let her know myself, when the time is right."

"Ok Daddy, but don't wait too long..." _Uh-oh, does he know something about Lois and Richard's relationship that I don't? Have they finally set a wedding date?_ "…because I want to go to the farm soon and meet Grandma and Shelby!"

_Fatherhood,_ Superman realized, letting out a relieved sigh and smiling down at his son, _is proving to be a very interesting adventure._ He hugged Jason tight and said, "They can't wait to meet you either." He tucked the child back close to his chest and resumed their flight home. Soaring through the night sky with the boy in his arms, Clark found himself overcome with love and an inner sense of peace as he suddenly realized that right now, at this very moment, he was truly no longer alone in the world.


	8. The Dinner Date

Jason had fallen into a peaceful slumber in Superman's arms just as Metropolis' skyline came into view. The Man of Steel soared gracefully over the city before landing softly on the patio outside his apartment; the movie was still playing on the TV, with the epic battle coming near its end. He crossed the threshold with the sleeping Jason still in his arms, setting him down gently on the sofa and tucking his Sky Captain figurine in next to him before pulling the plaid blanket out from behind the couch and draping it over him. Superman whisked into the bedroom to change into a pair of jeans, a blue flannel shirt and his glasses before heading to the kitchen.

The trip had made him hungry, so he poured through the contents of his cabinets and pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn. Tipping his glasses he used his heat vision to pop the kernels until the bag expanded and the aroma of butter reached his nose. He settled back down on the sofa in the living room, placing Jason's head on his leg, and finished watching the movie. _Now this…this is how Friday nights should be…_he thought to himself as the credits rolled. Clark switched back to the TV and caught the end of a newscast about the attempted robbery in London.

"…it was an 18 man crew that infiltrated the Tower, with Police confirming that four of the dead were part of the initial crew. Upon inspecting one of the modified vehicles, seen here, Officials discovered several million pounds-worth of Crown Jewels; a loss that would have been devastating to Great Britain both financially and emotionally. Luckily, Superman arrived on the scene in time to thwart this highly organized robbery attempt…"

_Good, good...the burglars are in custody, the Jewels have been returned and Jason appears to be none the worse for wear_, he thought as Jason turned over in his sleep, although Clark doubted that he would take him out again on a "mission" like that anytime in the near future. And although he disliked the public accolades his rescue work garnered him, it soothed his soul on this particular evening to know that he had been of some help to one quarter of the world.

His hearing picked up the dinging of the elevator opening in the hall and he discerned the swift click of Lois' heels as she walked toward his door. Looking through it he found her still as ravishing as she was earlier at the Planet, but her demeanor had changed. Lois' hair was a tad disheveled and her eyes looked a little red, as though she had been crying. It took every ounce of his common sense to prevent himself from leaping up and flinging open the door to find out what was troubling her. All he could do was sit and wait and give her a chance to knock and announce her arrival.

Lois stood outside Clark's apartment door and composed herself before knocking. The evening had not gone quite as she'd hoped, but at least it was done. Ever since she had revealed to Richard that Superman was Jason's biological father she had noticed a strain in their relationship. Sure, it was fine if they didn't talk about it, but that was like not talking about the elephant in the living room; Superman was on the radio, the TV, and even in print in the very newspaper they worked for. She knew that it irked him every time his Uncle Perry assigned her to another Superman interview but there was really nothing she could do about that, and Richard's refusal to talk about him only increased the silence and tension between them.

Richard, for his part, let time pass. He reasoned that if he gave Lois the chance to process Superman's return and figure out where he fit into her life and into Jason's, then they could move on and become a legitimate family. Richard hated how the Man of Steel's presence interrupted their lives and how it impacted his relationship with Lois. He couldn't even stand to hear his name mentioned, let alone have his fiancé interview him every other week. He refused to talk with her about it and instead let her make the next move; he thought that Lois' suggesting tonight's date night was a good sign, and that she was finally ready to move on with their life together and commit to a wedding date.

They made it through their shrimp cocktail appetizer at Chez Montreaux when she decided to broach the subject of their relationship; even though she'd rehearsed it several times in her head, Lois still wasn't sure how it would all end.

"Richard, I'm glad we could be alone tonight…"

"So am I," he replied, reaching over the table and gently stroking her outstretched hand. Not wanting to give him the wrong idea she withdrew her hand from his embrace.

"No, Richard, that's not what I meant. We really need to talk…about us," she looked up and saw the crestfallen look on his face.

The waiter approached their table just then, placing a large steak with wild rice and assorted vegetables in front of Richard and a grilled salmon steak with white rice and broccoli in front of Lois. "Bon apetit!" he exclaimed before moving away. Neither of them reached for their silverware.

"What about us?" Richard asked, resuming the conversation.

"I think you and I both know that this…that what we have together…oh God this is so much harder than I thought it would be," she looked up at him and saw the sad and shocked look on his face. He was beginning to suspect what was coming, "It's…it's…I think this is over, Richard, that we're over. It's been over for some time, don't you think? Ever since Superman's returned neither of us has been the same…"

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?!?" he cried, banging his fist on the table and garnering the attention of the surrounding diners. Then, more quietly, "And I thought you were ready to set a date…"

"A date?" she asked in surprise.

"For our wedding."

"Oh," she replied quietly, turning her gaze back down to the table.

"So you do still love him then, don't you?" he asked, his voice seething with anger. _If it had been any other man, I might have been ok with losing you, Lois_, he reasoned to himself, _but how can I be expected to compete with a "super" man?_

"Richard, we had a child together, of course there are still going to be feelings there! But that's not the point. You and I have been drifting apart for months! Some days we've barely even spoken to each other, and I think we need to end this arrangement now before it drags on further and becomes any more painful for either of us."

"Anymore painful?!? Lois, you're proposing to take my family away, it doesn't get anymore painful than that! And do you expect me to just submit?"

She had warned herself beforehand not to cry, but his impassioned pleas made her eyes water. This was hurting her just as well as him; he'd been her rock for the last six years and there had been love there, once.

"I thought...I thought we could both agree to this separation and make it easier on Jason. And I'm not trying to take away your family, Richard, you'll still be Jason's Father, we…well, we just won't be a couple…anymore," she said with a quiet finality.

Richard propped his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands so Lois couldn't read his face. He knew that she had given this decision a lot of thought, and judging by the tone of her voice there was no going back. He loved her, he didn't want what they had together to end, but he couldn't force her to love him in return. That knowledge didn't make things any easier for him though, nor was he going to make this break-up go as smoothly as Lois had planned.

With one swift gesture Richard stepped up from the table and dropped his napkin next to his plate. He pulled out his wallet and left several twenty dollar bills on the table beside his uneaten meal, then turned around to retrieve his coat from the back of his chair.

"Where are you going?" she asked, alarmed.

"Hom…" he stopped himself short. "To the house. To pack. If you're saying we're through then I'm not going to spend another night under that roof. It's too painful, Lois…you had to have known that before you brought me here tonight. What other outcome could you possibly expect? We'll sort out the logistics later, but right now…" his voice started to fail him, he was on the verge of tears, "…right now I have to leave. Good bye." And with that he walked straight out of the restaurant, never once looking back.

Lois knew this conversation wasn't going to be easy, but she hadn't counted on Richard going stone cold and leaving on her. She sobbed into her napkin, ignoring the stares and whispers from the other patrons. She was glad it was over; she only wished that she hadn't hurt such a very good man as deeply as she had.

She had spent the time since leaving Chez Montreaux driving aimlessly around the city. She hadn't been ready to pick up Jason and return to an empty house, nor was she prepared to answer his questions which would inevitably follow Richard's absence. _At least we each have the weekend to see to this_, she thought as she entered the elevator in Clark's apartment building, _so hopefully things won't be __**too**__ awkward come Monday morning._ Lois gave herself one last look in her compact, making sure her eyes weren't too red, before slipping it back into her clutch bag and next to the engagement ring that had been gracing its interior for the last few hours.

Taking one last deep breath, she boldly knocked on Clark Kent's door.


	9. Time To Go Home

Clark eased Jason's head off his lap and onto a nearby pillow, forcing himself not to rush and answer the door. When he finally swung it open, he marveled momentarily at the woman before him. _Lois Lane, in an evening gown, in __**my**__ doorway…_he desperately wanted to run his fingers through her long brown hair and kiss her…

"Hey Clark, was he too much trouble?" she asked brusquely, ending his fleeting daydream.

"Trouble? Jason? No Lois, he was great…although I think I may have worn him out…" he told her, pointing to the sofa where their sleeping son lay.

"Oh, well I'll just grab him and go," she made her way into the apartment towards him, scooping up his backpack and slinging it over her shoulder, "Thanks so much for everything."

"Uh sure, no problem, anytime," he maneuvered his way in front of her, "Do you need any help with him? He's getting bigger everyday you know…couldn't Richard help you carry him out to the car?"

The very mention of her ex-fiancé's name discombobulated Lois. The tears started to well up in her eyes as the evening's disaster came to mind, and she stood up over the figure of her son, her shoulders heaving before letting loose several silent sobs.

Clark hadn't meant to hurt her; he certainly had no idea what he had said to make her cry, and he picked his way over to her and gently laid a hand on her back. That touch of kindness made her sob even more, and without thinking he quickly drew her into his embrace. They stood there for a full ten minutes before she had calmed down enough to speak.

"I'm sorry, Clark, I'm so sorry. I didn't…I didn't mean to…" and the wailing began anew. He led her over to the kitchen table, away from their slumbering boy, and then he went and grabbed a box of tissues from the bathroom.

"No, I'm sorry," he said, sitting down next to her with the box in his hands, looking at hers covering her face, "I don't know what I did, but I didn't mean to upset you." He put the box down in front of her and stood up to fetch a glass of water.

"It's not you," she said, her hands still hiding her face. "It's just that…well I guess you're going to hear it around the office soon anyway, so you might as well hear it from me," she paused before going any further, gathering all the strength she could muster, "I ended things with Richard tonight. Needless to say they didn't go well." Clark placed the glass in front of her and she took it up quickly, downing several large gulps. He stared at her tear-covered face, wanting to comfort her more, but not daring to cross the line when she was this vulnerable. He reached his hand out across the table, stroking the one she had laid there.

Unlike earlier, when Richard had made the same gesture, Lois left her hand on the table. She marveled at how gentle Clark's touch was, and at how strong and warm the connection felt when their skin made contact. The silence suspended between them now wasn't the cold and stony type that had hung over her and Richard for so many months either; it was instead suffused with compassion. She sensed that Clark wanted to comfort her without seeming improprietous, and his touch was just what she needed. _How did I ever get so lucky as to have a friend like him?_

They sat like that for the longest time, not saying anything, just holding hands across the table. Clark listened to her heart rate slow and even out as she calmed herself down. He knew Superman's return was responsible for her current suffering and he watched with pain in his eyes as she removed her hand from his and finished her glass of water.

"I think we'd better be going," she told him, placing her glass on the table and standing up. "I really do appreciate your watching Jason this evening, and just being here for me now. You're a great friend." She graced him with a friendly peck on the cheek before turning towards the living room. With her back turned to him he grimaced with the knowledge that he wasn't as great a friend to her as he seemed.

"Here," he said, tripping in his haste to get to the sofa, "Let me carry Jason downstairs. It's no trouble, really."

She smiled and nodded in assent as she slipped her son's backpack over her shoulder and went ahead of him to open the door. Clark scooped the boy up in his arms and strode over with a grace that would have surprised Lois had she been paying attention. They wordlessly rode down in the elevator together; Jason's even, heavy breathing being the only noise audible. When they got out the front door Lois turned to the left and walked toward her black sedan with Clark hot on her heels. She unlocked the car doors remotely and scooted around to the driver's side, getting in and turning around in time to see her co-worker set her son down in the seat diagonally behind her, buckling him in as if he had done it a million times before. _How is it that he can be so awkward one moment and so smooth the next? It's almost as if he were two different people…_she wondered as Clark finished fastening Jason in, closing the door behind him as gently as possible. Lois rolled the passenger side window down and Clark crouched beside it.

"Thanks again Clark, for everything. You're such a lifesaver; I don't know where I'd have been tonight if it weren't for you."

"Really it's fine, don't mention it. And if you ever need anyone to watch Jason again for you I'd be happy to help."

"Watch what you say there, Smallville, or I just might take you up on that offer." He grinned at the teasing tone she took when saying his nickname and at the thought of spending another quality evening with his son without having to don the blue spandex suit. "Well good night! I'll see you around!" she called out, turning the key in the ignition.

"Sure thing, Lois. I'm always around," he replied, backing away from the car as she eased it out into the street and toward home.

Clark was headed back into the building when he suddenly straightened up in alarm. _Wait, did I just say…?_

…_did he just say 'I'm always around'?_

_I can't believe I said that! What if she suspects that I'm…_

…_Superman? Isn't that what Superman always says to me?_ Lois stopped at a traffic light and let the thought sink in. Bumbling Smallville as the Man of Steel? _Nah, it couldn't be…_


	10. Where Do We Go From Here?

Clark stood frozen on the pavement for a full minute after Lois drove off. He couldn't believe how careless he'd been…_I'm always around? I'm always around?!?! Why the heck couldn't I have thought of something, __**ANYTHING,**__ else to say but that! I'm not a super-man I'm a super-IDIOT! GAH!_ And with that he slapped himself upside the head before dashing into his apartment building; he had to know if Lois suspected him of being…well, him, because he knew that of all the inopportune moments that he could have chosen to reveal his dual identity to the woman he loved, this was the absolute worst.

Lois hadn't made it three blocks when Superman started trailing her, creating a flight path for himself about a mile and a half above the ground she drove on. He strove to tune out all other ambient noises and focus only on her, but either everyone else in the world was exceptionally loud this evening or she was exceptionally quiet. Clark strained his superior ear drums harder for any sound coming from her mouth. _She could be quiet because she doesn't want to wake Jason…or she could know the truth and be mad, really, really, REALLY mad…or she thought nothing of it and has put it out of her mind completely._ He stopped and hovered over her car while it came to a halt at a traffic light. _I hope it's the latter, for both our sakes_.

Jason was roused out of his sleep by a particularly bad pot hole when he and Lois were about halfway home. He blinked his weary eyes several times and took note of the fact that he was no longer in Clark's apartment but in his car, and that Richard wasn't there.

"Where's Daddy?" he asked casually.

"Oh!" she inhaled sharply, unaware that he had woken up. _Jason has obviously had picked the art of surprise up from his biological father_...she thought to herself. Lois had no idea how to properly answer his question at 11:30 at night, so she did what every good mother does when she wants to protect her child from the truth; she fibbed.

"Daddy had to go on a trip for the newspaper, Sweetie. It was very last minute but he told me to tell you he loves you," _At least that part is the truth_, she thought to herself wryly.

Jason yawned, sleep creeping in on his senses once more. "Where is he going?"

_Probably to his Uncle Perry's..._"He had to go to London."

"Are they ok?"

"Is what ok, Baby?" she asked with some confusion in her voice.

"The Jewels," he stated matter-of-factly.

She scrunched her face up in confusion as she stared out on the road. _He probably just had a weird dream…_"I'm sure they're fine ,Jason, now go back to sleep," she checked in her rear-view mirror and saw that he didn't need much encouragement; her son had already drifted back to Dreamland before she'd even finished her sentence.

She pulled into the driveway and noticed right away that the seaplane was missing from its spot next to the dock in their backyard. _Maybe he didn't flee to Perry's_, she mused as she stepped out of the car. Her feet were finally beginning to ache, just like her heart had all evening, and the last thing she wanted to do was carry Jason into that empty house…

"Good evening, Lois," he said, settling down on the ground behind her.

"JESUS!" she screamed, jumping into the air before spinning around to face him.

"Actually, I prefer going by Kal-el, but most people just call me Superman…"

"Sarcasm? That's what I get, SARCASM! For crying out loud, that's not funny! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Talk about me dying of lung cancer from smoking, but this," she gestured angrily in his direction, "This sneaking up on me, this is what's going to kill me."

Superman immediately wiped the grin off his place, replacing it with his steely, heroic one. He thought humor might help to diffuse the situation and ease the pain she was feeling but it was obviously very ill-timed.

"I'm sorry…" he said in a tone that, had she been listening, would have reminded her very much of their son.

"I know, it's not you, it's just….UGH!" she threw up her hands in disgust and leaned against the trunk of the car.

Knowing what he knew about Lois and Richard's break-up, while keeping up the pretense that he _didn't_ know, Superman glanced over at the house and gave the appearance of x-raying it.

"Richard's not home, is he?" he asked without waiting for a response, "I'll take Jason up to bed and come back so we can finish this conversation." And again, before she could respond, he swooped over to the car door, undid the buckles and scooped up their son, flying around to the back window and depositing Jason in his bedroom.

Lois took a deep breath, stood up, and headed over to the house. He greeted her at the front door.

"Sorry, uh, again…" he said as he stepped back to let her pass through. He could hear her teeth grinding in her head in annoyance but could tell by the beating of her heart she wasn't truly all that mad.

"Lois, would you like me to start a fire for you, or get some tea or something? You look a little cold…"

"This is my house, I'll do the offering, ok?" she said with a twinge of anger.

"Uh, is there…" he cleared his throat in an attempt to stop the Clark-ish tendencies that came over him when dealing with a very irate Lois Lane, "…is everything, alright? I mean, this isn't just about me sneaking up on you outside, is it?"

If humans could have heat vision Superman was sure he would have been burned by the glare Lois gave him just then. It lasted only a moment though before softening a bit, then she turned around and fell dejectedly into a nearby armchair. She thought she had let the last of her supply of tears fall at Clark's place but she could feel that they were making a resurgence. She wanted to be angry at him, hell she _**was**_ angry with him; but when he looked at her with those large emerald blue eyes, those eyes that were so full of concern for her and her alone, she knew her resolve was weakening.

Saying it so low that only he could hear, she blurted out, "I broke it off with Richard this evening, that's why he isn't here."

Superman snapped straight to attention at the statement, as if he hadn't already heard it from her thirty minutes before. He knew she wanted a reaction from him, anything to show her that she had made the right choice. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms, to kiss her so long and hard that neither of them noticed a new day dawning; but for now all he could do was stay rooted to the spot where he stood on the opposite side of her living room.

"Well," she said, louder and slightly more exasperated, "Aren't you going to say something? Aren't you, dare I say it, _glad_ that he's gone? I thought…"

"Then you thought wrong, Lois."

Her words stopped dead in her throat. _Wait a minute, he __**wanted**__ Richard to stay in the picture?_

"I didn't come back after all these years to break up your family, or, more importantly, to hurt you," he said, while she shot him a look as if about to re-but, "And don't tell me you're not hurting right now because I know you are." She stopped and looked down at her hands in her lap.

"He was such a large part of your life, of _both_ your lives, for so long and I owe him so much for being here when I wasn't. So no, I'm not glad that he's gone. The only thing I am glad about is that it will give me more of an opportunity to be a father to Jason; I didn't want to take that away from Richard before, but now I can be there for him without having to sneak in through the bedroom window all the time…"

"And how can you be there for our son, Superman?!" the anger rising back up in her after he listed off the admirable qualities of her ex-fiancee. "You can't take him to the park, or pick him up from school, or take him to a movie, not as you are in your red, yellow and blue! I don't even know what to call you, what to **REALLY** call you!"

She got up from her chair angrily and chucked a pillow at him; he dodged it as if it were Kryptonite. _Whoever said 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' must have known Lois Lane_, he thought as he watched the pillow go by from the corner of his eye.

From her vantage point Lois watched him duck the pillow and was briefly amused. _He looks like he's dodging Kryptonite instead of cotton_…she thought, the slightest of sly grins sweeping her face. _NO! STAY MAD!!!! IT'S HIS FAULT, THIS MESS, IT'S ALL HIS FAULT! Don't you dare cave, Lois, don't you dare!!!_ So many emotions were struggling to gain control that she had to mentally force herself to pick one track and stick with it.

"I can take Jason one place," he said as meekly as Superman could, while artfully dodging her unasked question.

Breaking out the sarcasm and placing her hands menacingly on her hips, she let out, "Oh yeah, and where's that?"

"It's a quiet place…in the middle of nowhere really, not used very often, has lots of open spaces…don't worry, it's perfectly safe; it's a place where he can practice controlling his powers without being observed."

She let her hands slide to her sides and looked at him with a face full of concern, "I thought you said his powers wouldn't manifest themselves steadily for a few more years!"

"I thought that might be the case, but we don't know that for a fact. He is half-Kryptonian after all, the timetable for his abilities may be more skewed than mine was. Either way, it really is a safe place, I can assure you. Might you…might you let me take him there some weekend?" he asked sheepishly.

Putting on her best motherly look and tone of voice, she simply said "I don't know. We'll see."

_The universal mother code for "YES"_, he said to himself. Superman couldn't help but let a grin now cross his face.

Lois still stood by the armchair, but slumped a little as she turned the conversation around again. "This still doesn't answer the question of who you really are. I think I deserve that much after giving birth to your child without remembering how he was conceived, after rearing him for five years without you, and now for breaking up with a good man because even after being abandoned by you for all those years I'm still madly in love with you!"

And with that outburst she fell back into the chair again. _There, I said it. The one thing I didn't want to say and I said it. I can't help that it's true, but did I have to say it now, after cutting Richard loose only a few hours ago?_

Superman was left speechless. He waited for so long to hear her say those words; having her utter them now had him practically hovering over the floor! He also wanted to give up the façade, come clean with her as to his true identity, and she had just given him a clear opening to do so. After all the grief she had had to put up with, some of which she didn't even remember, and here she was still yearning for him they way he pined for her day in and day out.

_Wait, that's wrong. Lois pines for Superman the way Clark Kent pines for her day in and day out…but I could change that now…_he stared at her form wistfully while he debated his options.

With a quick and determined step he strode over to Lois and lifted up her face in his hand, kissing her tenderly on the lips.

"I love you too..."

Color flushed quickly to both their cheeks.

"…but I can't tell you who I am just now. The last time…" he sighed, recalling all that had happened. It had all been too much too fast and she hadn't been able to handle it. He didn't want to make the same mistake again. "Lois, the last time you found out was when Jason was conceived—but knowing how brilliant you are I'm sure you already figured that out. You don't remember any of it because it had been too difficult of a secret for you to keep back then. We couldn't be together like a normal couple and it tore you up inside! So I did what I thought was best, I took the knowledge of it all away from you. I did it without your permission but I did it for your protection and because I loved you too much to see you in pain. But no matter which way I slice it, you're still in pain because of my actions. You just broke up with Richard, you need to deal with that situation first. There's going to be fallout. You need time to process it all and to heal…I just want to give you time."

She had been quietly crying as he told her all this. She was still mad at him…for stealing her heart, for denying her access to information she deemed important, for making life-altering decisions on her behalf.

"Wait, are you telling me that _memory swiping _is one of your abilities?" He started to answer before she remembered herself. "No, forget that, are you telling me that _YOU_ alone know what's best for me? That's bull! Nobody, and I mean _NOBODY,_ tells Lois Lane…"

He kissed her full on the lips again, with more passion than he had earlier, before she could finish her tirade. He knew he was taking advantage of the situation, but at that moment, neither of them cared.

"Damn you," she said under her breath after their lips parted.

"Excuse me?" he asked innocently.

"You heard me," and she put her hand over his which was still caressing her face. They lingered like that for a few moments longer, enjoying the embrace they'd each been longing for all those months since Superman's return. He wanted to hold her like that forever, but a cry from the opposite side of the City caused him to snap his head to attention.

Lois recognized the movement. "Go…" she told him gently. "We'll sort this all out later." He hesitated a moment longer. "Go," she told him more forcefully. "The people need you."

"And I need you," he replied, giving her a quick kiss before dashing out the back door.

* * *

She sat on the sofa for a few moments after he left, letting his words sink in, before trudging upstairs and collapsing into bed. Lois didn't even have the energy to change out of her clothes, yet she glanced over at the digital clock sitting on her side table. The red lights read 11:59 pm. She rolled over and took stock of the empty space beside her and felt a little sniffle coming on.

On the other side of town Clark Kent pulled on his black pajama pants and white t-shirt before collapsing into bed. Turning over to look at the clock he watched as the numbers flipped over to 12:00 am. It had been far from a typical Friday night for him, even by Superman's standards. He let out a long sigh, rolled back over onto his back and clasped his hands behind his head.

Both reporters laid in their beds in a state between consciousness and deep sleep, pondering what the future held in store for them.

**THE END**


End file.
